It’s our second installment of Dancer’s Diaries and we’re now catching up with Frédéric to hear about their time spent at The Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury!
Frédéric specialises in German Wheel, Juggling, Banquine and Teeterboard.
Frédéric Lemieux-Cormier grew up in the world of circus arts thanks to his mother, a costume designer for Cirque du Soleil. He caught circus fever as a child and started his formal training at age 12, then spent 6 years at the National Circus School in Montréal. There, he completed the Preparatory Program and the Circus and High School Studies program and then earned his Diploma of Collegial Studies in the School’s professional training program. His performance credits include 3 episodes of La vie est un cirque (Life is a Circus), a Canadian television program about world class circus performers: Défis des champions (Champions’ Challenge), a Canadian reality program, and live appearances on the circus show Bird House Factory. Although he is only 24, he has performed in special events for Cirque du Soleil and with Les 7 Doigts de la Main, and has been a member of the Haut Vol and Il Circo companies. When not performing, Frédéric enjoys drawing and bicycling. He also talks to his German Wheel before every performance, to help it de stress before the show!
Here’s what he had to say about life in Canterbury!
Fred performs in Cirkopolis on his German Wheel
Bonjour, My name is Frédéric. I am French-Canadian, born and raised in Montréal. I have been doing circus for the past 16 years of my life, but professionally for 7 years. I have spent the last 3 years of my life in the show Cirkopolis with Cirque Éloize. I’m one of the original cast members of the show. My speciality is German wheel, an apparatus that I perform in Cirkopolis, but you will also see me in the show in various other disciplines, likeJuggling, Trapeze and Banquine.
Last week we arrived with the troupe in Canterbury, it was the first day of March and a beautiful sunny Sunday. Everyone in the cast stayed pretty relaxed because everyone was tired from that great but really intense 2 weeks in London. But it was very obvious from the first look that we had arrived in a charming city. With all it’s little canals and really well preserved old buildings and fortifications, Canterbury has every thing to please and I liked it instantly! So I was really eager to go and visit the city. Me and Nelson, another cast member, decided that even if we where really tired we had to go and take a look and it’s what we did. I have to say that we were not deceived and we found that it was truly a lovely city! On the other days we had rehearsals and performances so we had less time to wander around, but still we took the time to go almost every day to have a little coffee on the patio of a coffee shop and appreciate the sun that was with us most of the days.
Fred takes a ride on a Boris Bike
This week was marked by a very special event, two of our cast members, Samuel and Myriam, left us for a really good reason… Myriam is going to give birth to their baby really soon! We dedicated our last show in Canterbury to them and the baby, it was a really beautiful and unique moment. I’m sad they left, but really happy to know we’ll have a new little acrobat soon with us on tour!! Their replacements have arrived. Two really good circus artists called Nicolas and Charlotte and we are currently integrating them in the show. They are doing a great job!! You should come and see them!
I Wish you all the best!
Fred
